Month: November 2013
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Blacklist companies in the dock
Construction companies accused of blacklisting on an industrial scale were in the dock today at the Royal Courts of Justice. The High Court claim being brought by Guney, Clark & Ryan solicitors on behalf of nearly 100 claimants (Steve Acheson & others v Sir Robert McAlpine & others). The full list of defendant companies are:…
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Victory for 3 COSAS workers!
London Student newspaper has reported on IWGB members at UoL winning concessions following their hugely impressive 2 day strike. Workers employed for more than 3 months will get sick pay, and after 3 years 25 days annual holiday, 22 days for all other workers. The striking staff will also be able to join Balfour Beatty’s…
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VIDEO: Congas on 3 COSAS picket line
Up to 100 staff, students, and their supporters joined the picket lines for the 2 day strike (27th-28th) at the University of London (UoL) organised by the Independent Workers Union of Great Britain (IWGB). Outsourced workers employed by Balfour Beatty were joined by their IWGB colleagues employed directly by UoL. At UoL, IWGB organises overwhelmingly…
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NSSN 170 – Fight attacks on Jobs & Pay on the Tube!
This week, we re-produce a statement from RMT General Secretary Bob Crow after the announcement of massive job cuts on London Underground (LUL) and the further threat to the living standards of tube workers. The NSSN appeals to all trade unions to give full support to the unions and their members on LUL Hear Bob…
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Day of action on blacklisting hits City of London
A 7AM start in the freezing cold and driving rain did nothing to dampen the turn out ‘The Cheesegrater’ building site. The protest at the Laing O’Rourke run site was the beginning of Thursday’s TUC National Day of Action on blacklisting in London. Laing – O’Rourke was the natural choice to begin protests given this…
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NSSN 169 – End Blacklisting. Fight Tory witch-hunt of Unite!
End the Blacklist! Own up! Clean up! Pay up! The recent death of Richard Laco on a Laing O’Rourke building site in Kings Cross has again raised the issue of construction safety to centre stage. A silent vigil for Richard was organised by the Construction Safety Campaign and was attended by family members and the…
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Come to upcoming regional NSSN conferences
November 23 Yorkshire NSSN conference – 10am-4pm, Cosmopolitan Hotel, 2 Lower Briggate, Leeds LS1 4AE November 30 Midlands NSSN conference – 12pm-4pm, Unite offices in Broad Street, Birmingham Flyer can be downloaded http://shopstewards.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/Midlands-Conference-2013-Flyer-A5.pdf January 18 2014 Southern NSSN conference (hosted by UNITE Bracknell) ‘Building the Fightback against Austerity’ – 2pm to 5pm, Priestwood Community Centre,…
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NSSN 168 – Stop ALL BAe shipyard closures & save ALL jobs!
This week we produce a letter from Portsmouth Trades Council advertising a demonstration this Saturday November 16th against the closure of the naval shipyards in the city with the loss of nearly 1000 jobs. At very short notice, over 200 attended a protest last Saturday. The NSSN gives full support to these workers and the…
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The case for joint coordinated industrial action
In light of recent setbacks for the working class, does the trade union movement need to reconsider how it uses industrial action? John McInally, PCS union national vice-president explains (in a personal capacity) why PCS believes joint coordinated industrial action is still the way forward. Since the 1970s the capitalist class has conducted a relentless…
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Victory For Independent Living Rights In English Appeal Court
Statement by Anne Pridmore, Gabriel Pepper and Stuart Bracking As three of the Independent Living Fund users who have challenged the legality of the government’s decision to close the Fund, we welcome the Appeal Court’s unanimous ruling that this decision should be quashed. Given the Government has decided not to appeal to the Supreme Court,…
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NSSN 167: 20th anniversary of rail privatisation
On 5 November 1993 John Major’s Tories passed the Railways Act to privatise British Rail, opening an era of public transport chaos and fragmentation in Britain. Rail privatisation is a grotesque ‘corporate welfare’ binge for a herd of gruesome Fat Cats, some well-known like Richard Branson, others less so like the shadowy hedge funds and…
